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MODEL OF CHARACTER 



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AN ADDRESS 



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BY REV. J.N. M'JILTON, A. M. 

CHAIRMAN or THE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, BALTIMORE. 



B A I. T I M() K E : 
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. MURPHY. 

178 MARKET STREET. 






Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the j-ear 1846, 

By JOHN MURPHY, 
^ in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Maryland. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

Baltimore, July 34, 184ti. 
Kev. and Dear Sir : 

The addross delivPi-fd by yon nt the celebration of the 
Public ??chooI.s ol this city was so admirably adapted to tlie 
occasion, and calculated to be of such essential service to the 
youth of our city and country, that the committee of arrange- 
ments feel that they but reflect the sentiments and wishes of 
nil who heard it, by requesting that you would place a copy 
in their hands, with a view to publication, in order that it 
may be preserved in a convenient and durable form for more 
extended circulation and usefulness. 
We are, sir, with great respect and esteem. 
Your friends, 

John R. W. Ddnbar, 
R. T. Spence, 
John F. Monmonier, 
R. S. Bowie, 
Charles M. Keyser, 
Com. of Jlrrangcments, 
To Rev. J. N. M'Jilton. 



Baltimore, July 27, 1846. 
Gentlemen : 

The address prepared at your request, and delivered to 
the pupils of the public schools, is at your service. No ob- 
jection of mine shall be interposed between your desire that 
it may be useful, and the eti'ort to make it so. 
With high consideration. 

Your friend, 

J. N. M'Jilton. 
To Dr. John R. W. Dhnbar, 
" R. T. Spence, 
" John F. Monmonier, 
R. i>. Bowie, Esq., 
Maj. Charles M. Keyser, 

Committee of Arrangements. 




PREFACE. 

The address which forms this little book was 
not intended for publication. It was prepared to 
be delivered at the celebration of the Public Schools 
on the 22d inst. After it was delivered, Commis- 
sioners of Public Schools and others regarded it as 
being worthy of a general circulation in some 
convenient form, so that whatever benefit might be 
derived from its use should not be limited to the 
pupils of the Public Schools, but shared by the 
youth of our city and country, so far as the same 
may be practicable. With this view the address 
was solicited for publication by the Committee of 
Arrangements, 

As usefulness was the aim of the author in pre- 
paring the address, he hopes that every boy who 
may obtain a copy will read it with a view to his 
improvement. Doubtless the model which is pre- 
sented in our illustrious Washington will be 
found to contain what is excellent and valuable 
in character, and worthy the emulation of the 
American boy. And if his ambition be excited to 
the pursuit of that which is high, and honorable, 
and virtuous, the expansion of his manly faculties 
may develope such character as shall render him a 
distingtiished man, — distinguished in his deeds, as 
he is in the proud name he beais of American citizen. 
Jxtly 28, 1846. 



^7/5\SE!0E]il'ir©Ii!l 



THE 






w%> 



O F 



iiiSSlieigiS SSiiklMf SeS. 



My Young Friends, 

Pupils of the Public Schools of Baltimore t 

The motto inscribed upon the beautiful 
banner of your Central High School is 
the subject of my remarks to you to-day. 
Palmam qui meruit feraT' — Let him 
wear the palm who wins it. And when I 
say that this is a motto worthy of the 
American youth, I give it a place far above 
that which it occupied in the proudest 
days of Roman honor, or in the brightest 
days of Grecian fame. And if you ask 
me for the proof, T point you to the Amer- 

2 



IQ WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

fcaii character, more brilliant in its en- 
liahtenecl freedom, and in its patriotic 
inteo-ritv, than that of Greece or Rome ever 
wasraiid to American institutions, blend- 
ino- republicanism, intelligence, and reli- 
gion in a greater degree than they were 
ever blended in a nation before. And if you 
ask me for the cause of the difference be- 
tween the character of those ancient na- 
tions and their institutions, and the Ameri- 
can character and institutions, I direct you 
t^o one orand distinguishing characteristic, 
and that is, 

THE DOMESTIC ALTAR. 

And in directing you to the domestic 
altar as the means of effecting this proud 
distinction, I would say that it is an altar 
of such high and sacred character, that it 
can be reared and successfully sustained 
by no nation, unless that nation be eminent 
in its encouragement of enlightenment and 
relio-ion. I do not mean by this declara- 
tion that the Roman and Grecian boys 
wanted fathers to point them to the senate 
and to the field, and mothers to teach them 
patriotism at the firc-side. There was 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 11 

scarcely a father among- them but had 
rather had his son a corpse than a coward. 
And but few of the mothers of the acre 
were unhke that noble Grecian who told 
her son, when he went to battle, to return 
with his shield, or upon it. But I mean 
that the Grecian and Roman youth were 
taught patriotism in the neglect of domes- 
tic virtues. They were taught to encour- 
age a thirst for eminence in the state, and 
for military renown at the expense of the 
social affections. We have an example 
in the noble heroism of Cornelia, the mo- 
ther of the Gracchii. She infused into the 
souls of her illustrous sons the fire of pa- 
triotic devotion, which made them jewels 
for the state, but which lost them to her 
in the domestic circle for ever. But the 
American youth live in a very different 
age, and their system of instruction, in 
nearly all its departments, is of a very dif- 
ferent character. In their education, the 
love for eminence in the state is not ne- 
glected, and they are taught to cherish the 
patriotism that burned in the bosoms of 
the Greek and Roman youth. And with 
this patriotic interest is mingled the train- 
ing of the social affections, under the 



12 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

benign rays of religious enlightenment. 
And this is the sort of education which 
rears its subjects, not only for the domestic 
circle, but for their country and their God. 
And this should be the great purpose of 
American teaching in the developement of 
American character in the use and for the 
sustaining of American institutions. And 
what we have to regret is that it is not 
carried out more thoroughly, and rendered 
more efficient in practice. 

We boast, as we have cause to do, of 
our position as free American citizens, 
and we rejoice in the powerful effect the 
domestic altar has upon our national 
character. But we are compelled to min- 
gle reproach with our boast, and regret 
with our joy, that as a nation we should in 
any wise neglect that most important of 
all teachincr — the teachinof of character. 
In this we must acknowledge that we are 
deficient, and that the blessings of the 
domestic altar are not as profitable, nor 
as extensively diffused as they might be. 
What we lack is systematic effort in the 
formation of character. And judging from 
our want of systematic effort in this teach- 
ing, and our indifference about it, the sup- 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 13 

position miglit be indulged that we are not 
aware of the importance and necessity of 
holding up character before the youthful 
mind as a distinctive part of education. 
Our practice would seem to indicate that 
we reorard character as a thinof that comes 
of itself, or that it is induced by the moral 
and mental training which the youth ob- 
tains at home, and at the schools. It is 
greatly to the disadvantage of the youth 
that, in all the departments of study in 
which he engages, there is not sufficient 
effort made to make him what he must be 
if he would rise to eminence in after life. 
It is greatly to his disadvantage that he is 
not taught in clear, and distinct, and sys- 
tematic terms, what the American charac- 
ter is, and of what elements it is com- 
posed, and what he must be if he would 
carry out that character as it should be 
carried out in active life. The boy should 
be pointed forward to his position of re- 
sponsibility as a man. He should , be 
pointed to the period when he must take 
his place amid the busy multitudes of the 
world, and wrestle as his fathers have done 
for the place of success which he hopes 
to attain. He must have a place at the 



14 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

social circle, and he should be taiiorht how 
he shall adorn it. He must be tauofht what 
he must be in private life, that he may do 
honor to his domestic relations. He must 
be taught his duty as a citizen, that, in the 
performance of that duty, he may become 
eminent, and that society and the state 
may be the better for his having lived in 
them. Aiid he must be shown what he 
must be in religion, that he may fulfil his 
obligations both to God and man, and that 
his religious character may have its influ- 
ence upon the community in which he 
dwells. In a systematic course of teaching 
for the developement of character in these 
several departments, we have to acknow- 
ledge our deficiency. And although the 
domestic altar stands pre-eminent in our 
midst, and operates powerfully upon the 
American mind, it is by no means what it 
ought to be, and its influence upon devel- 
oping character is far less than more syste- 
matic effort would make it. And this 
defect is a serious impediment in the path 
of the American boy. He is prepared to 
act out the character of the Greek and 
the Roman, because the elements of that 
character are combined in his. But it is 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER, 15 

a different tliiiio- to act out the character 
of the American, because it combines the 
other elements which are sent forth from 
the domestic akar. A prominent and dis- 
tinoruishino- feature in American teachinof, 
should be the full developement of the 
domestic character. And when the do- 
mestic altar shall be adequate to the sup- 
ply of its own demands, the American 
boy will be properly instructed in his 
character as an American citizen. 



GRECIAN AND ROMAN PATRIOTISM, 

The Greeks and Romans were pati-iots 
more from passion and impulse, than from 
reofular and systematic traininor. Hence 
the impassioned and impulsive outbursts 
that are so frequent in their history. The 
Roman seemed ever ready to lay his life 
upon the altar of his country ; and the soul 
of the Greek was unconquerable even by 
superior prowess of some brother Greek, 
and, as far as the self-sacrificing spirit of the 
patriot is viewed, their superiors are not 
found upon record. But there is another 
element that enters into the formation of 
the American character. With the noble 



16 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

traits that raised the Greeks and the Ro- 
mans above every other nation of their day, 
there are to be associated in the American 
the more refined quahties of character 
which render him pre-eminent as a social 
and rehgious being. And without these 
qualities the American character is incom- 
plete ; they are essential to its exhibition 
in the perfection of its beauty. 

I do not say that the youth of Greece 
and Rome were entirely destitute of those 
social qualities which I recognise as being 
the peculiar adornment of the American 
character. These qualities were certainly 
possessed in a degree by the men of those 
nations. But what I say is, that they were 
lost sight of in the requirements for the 
forum and the field, and obscured in the 
brilliance of the statesman's honors and 
glare of military glory. Thus it is clear 
that it was the patriot which those ages 
were most likely to exhibit, while other 
and equally essential parts of character 
were overlooked and obscured. The do- 
mestic altar was wanting, in its softening 
and subduing influence, to mould the man 
for the domestic circle, and for the refined 
intercourse it demands. 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 17 



PROPER ELEMENTS OF CHARACTER. 

The elements of which character is com- 
posed have been combined in the various 
nations of the past in different proportions. 
And if we continue our remarks in relation 
to the Greeks and Romans, as partially re- 
presentative of them all, we cannot fail to 
see that the passion for the cabinet or the 
field has been predominant in proportion 
as either has commanded the most of these 
elements. But it appears as if it were left 
for the American to combine into a per- 
fect character all the elements of which it 
is composed, and to hold that character 
up ^s an improvement upon the past, and 
as a guide and pattern for the future. And 
that this perfect character is not yet fully 
developed in a national point, is most 
clearly certain. When it is, the world 
will look upon what it has not yet seen ; 
a nation combining in right proportions 
the elements which make man a social and 
religious being, with those which make 
him a patriot. Then may the man be re- 
garded as the representative of his nation; 
and the elements of which the character of 



18 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

his nation is composed, will be found to 
centre in himself. 



ELEMENTS OF CHARACTER IN WASHINGTON. 

And although these elements of charac- 
ter have never rendered an entire nation 
illustrious, yet may we find them centering 
in a single individual. I present our own 
unequalled Washington as an example of 
the character in individual isolation. And 
I would present him as the model from 
which a nation of his kind miofht be 
moulded. And when you imagine a. na- 
tion of such men as Washington you have 
the character in its completeness, so far as 
human character may be called complete. 
And you have it in the beauty of its prac- 
tical operation. And a proud day will it 
be for this world of ours, when a nation of 
such men as Washington shall exist. And 
the thing is not impossible. Such may be 
the case when the model is understood 
and imitated. In Washington were com- 
bined the qualities which exhibit man in 
the true nobility of his nature, — the noblest 
workmanship of Heaven. And a nation 
of such men might arise upon this, our 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 19 

American territory, if the proper means 
were used to bring- about the consumma- 
tion. And how is this important work 
to be efTected ? It may be done by having 
the model held up in the analysis of its 
substance, showing the elements of which 
it is composed; defining thoroughly its 
relations, and so simplifying them, that 
they might be readily apprehended and 
understood when presented to the nation's 
mind. If in such analysis, the model of 
American character were held up before 
the American youth, it could not fail to be 
imitated. And to render the work effect- 
ual, the holding up of the model should be 
attended with the communication of such 
instruction, and in such manner, as might 
encourage the youth to embrace the charac- 
ter in its simple elements, and to emulate 
it in the model which the combination of 
these elements may furnish. This would 
be to teach character to the subject who 
was expected to adopt it. And, knowing 
what the character is, and how to act it 
out, the adoption and practice of it would 
be an easy task. And the mind of the na- 
tion must be directed towards the charac- 
ter, or the character may never be devel- 



20 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

oped in the nation ; however, it may some- 
times be seen in the individual. The 
model of the Greek was the patriot in the 
civil council : — the model of the Roman 
was the patriot in the field. And while 
the nation of the one was pre-eminent in 
the number of her statesmen, the nation 
of the other was pre-eminent in the num- 
ber of her generals. While Greece was 
distinguished for her orators, and was 
called a nation of letters, Rome was most 
distinguished for her soldiers, and was 
termed a warlike nation. 



THE AMERICAN CHARACTER IN ITS TRUE 
GREATNESS. 

And here a very important and neces- 
sary question, which you may ask, is, in 
what does this exalted character consist, 
which neither the Greek nor the Roman 
possessed in all its proportions, and which 
the world has never yet seen in a national 
developement ? I will answer you this 
question, by saying that it is the character 
which I have presented you as a model, in 
the person of our venerated Washington. 
And now you desire that this model charac- 



« 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. "21 

ter shall be analyzed, in order that you may 
see into it, and comprehend it. In an ad- 
dress like the present, I can give but a very 
imperfect analysis of this character, and 
must express it in general terms. It would 
require a volume to analyze it fully, and to 
exhibit its particular portions properly. 
You desire that I shall present you the 
man combining the elements of character 
in their proper proportions, qualifying him 
for life in its different departments. Such 
a man I would state to be one who is pre- 
pared to take his place in the domestic 
circle ; who can act his part in the various 
departments of professional life ; and who 
is educated for the honor and service of 
his God. You see in this man, the social 
character, the patriot, and the Christian. 
More than this it it would be difficult for 
man to be. And fully must he come up 
to the standard, or fall short of the charac- 
ter which the American should aim at. 
And to be eminent, and to shine in these 
departments of life, the social, the profes- 
sional, and the Christian, the American 
youth must of necessity be educated. To 
this should the instruction of the fire-side 
have reference ; to this should all scholas- 



22 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

tic studies be directed. And with the 
model character constantly in view, and 
in the use of such instructions as would 
unfold it thoroughly, a successful result 
might be attained. And in such result the 
youth would be properly moulded into the 
man, and the man sent forth, in the excel- 
lence of his character, a social being, a 
patriot, and a Christian. 

THE AMERICAN CHARACTER IN WASHING- 
TON ITS MODEL. 

I hold this character up as American, 
for good and sufficient reasons ; first, 
because American institutions are those 
which encourage its developement and 
demand its exercise ; secondly, because 
America has produced its model in a 
greater degree than any other nation that 
now exists, or that ever has existed. I 
have said that in this model of American 
character, man is presented in his excel- 
lence as a social character, as a patriot, 
and as a Christian. And here I ought to 
say that in its entire perfection this charac- 
ter may never be exhibited in imperfect 
human nature. But I may speak of the 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 23 

character in its perfection, and I may hold 
it up in its beauty before the American 
youth for their imitation. Let perfection 
be the model, and perfection the aim of 
the youthful mind, and then labor for 
success in the application of your motto : 
" Let him wear the palm who wms it.^^ 

My young friends, you appear before 
me to-day as a representative portion of 
the American youth ; and as such I would 
hold up the model character to your view. 
And I would that I could hold it up, in its 
proper light, before the youth of every part 
of our country. I woukl that I could so 
present it that the American boy might see 
it in its beauty, and be encouraged to pur- 
sue it as the highest object of his ambition. 
I present for your consideration, for your 
study, and for your imitation, 

MAN IN THE DOMESTIC CIRCLE, A SOCIAL 



being; 

man in the different departments of 
social life, a patriot ; 

and man, in the service of his god, a 
christian. 

And it is in regard to this social and 
religious character especially that I spoke 



24 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

of the Greeks and Romans as being de- 
ficient. The domestic altar, and the altar 
of religion among those renowned nations 
having been absorbed in the altar of patri- 
otism, of course, like every thing else, they 
were tributary to it. And therefore almost 
their entire character, certainly their char- 
acter in its efficiency, was developed in the 
exhibition of the patriot. 

In the pursuit of my purpose I will now 
show you, in a very brief manner, 

MAN IN HIS SOCIAL CHARACTER. 

And to look on him in this character, 
you must turn with me to the domestic 
circle, and you must see him at the fire-side 
and in society. And in the domestic circle 
you behold the man with father, mother, 
brothers, sisters, and friends around him. 
To be happy with them, and that they may 
be happy with him, he must be 

THE DUTIFUL AND OBEDIENT SON ; 

THE FOND AND AFFECTIONATE 'brother; 

THE FIRM AND UNWAVERING FRIEND. 

And the dutiful and obedient son honors 
his parents, and bows submissive to their 



OF A^MERICAN CHARACTER. 25 

commands. And he does honor and sub- 
mits to his parents, not only during the 
period of his minority, but also in his more 
matured years. He respects them in the 
obedience of his manhood, and he shows 
to their gray hairs, in the exercise of his 
manly strength, that the principle by which 
he is moved is that which was instilled 
into his mind in the hours of his childhood, 
and which strengthened as his youth ad- 
vanced. The filial reverence of the boy is 
to be seen in the actions of the man 
And this reverence is seldom or never 
seen in the actions of the man, if the prin- 
ciple from which it sprino\s has not been 
made a part of the character of the youth. 
The crown of honor, which the domestic 
circle weaves for the brow, is worn only 
by him that bends in the respect of his 
manly years before the silver locks of those 
who gave him being, and ministered to the 
necessities of his early life. And for this 
principle to be carried out in the man's 
history, it must be firmly implanted within 
him, and become a part of his character 
and of himself in his early years. As with 
all other principles of like nature, it must 
be imprinted upon the character in itis 

o 



26 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

formation, and become identified with the 
individual while his faculties are in their 
incipient state, and before they are fully 
developed. The boy must be the dutiful 
and obedient son, or the man may never 
be honored with a name so praiseworthy, 
and so much to be desired. 

And as an affectionate brother, his char- 
acter shows itself in his gentleness, and in 
the spirit of love and kindness, which 
should ever be exhibited in his intercourse 
with those who are bound to him in the 
tender ties of fraternal atTection. To his 
elders under the paternal roof he is re- 
spectful, and to those younger than him- 
self he is conciliating ; and to all he is 
open in his love, and generous in the ex- 
hibition of his tender reorard. And such a 
brother is a jewel at the home circle. He 
is a boy, and a man of character ; and 
while his brothers share in his sturdier en- 
joyments, his sisters look to him in confi- 
dence as one that is ever ready to minister 
to their happiness, and to stand by them as 
an unrtincliing protector. 

And, as a friend, he is firm and affec- 
tionate, open in his intercourse, and can- 
did in the expression of his sentiments. 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 27 

He is as bold in the reproval of his friend's 
faults to his face as he is in the defence of 
his character when he is absent. He is 
to his friend, in all things, just what he 
would have his friend be to him under the 
same circumstances. Deceit is the thing 
he scorns, and to treachery he is a stranger. 
Selfishness has no part in his character, 
and from meanness of every description he 
flies as he would from the pursuit of a ser- 
pent. Such a friend is worthy of the name, 
and if youth were trained for the character 
there would be more of them in the world 
than there are. 

And the principles of character which 
would render the man a valued brother and 
friend, like those which would make him 
a worthy and dutiful son, must be incor- 
porated into his nature in his childhood, 
and in his youth. He must be the obe- 
dient son, the affectionate brother, and the 
firm friend in his boyhood, or the proba- 
bility is that he will never be so at all. 
There is some truth in the adage, that 
friendships, to be pure, and disinterested, 
and lasting, must be formed in youth, and 
that those which are formed in more matured 
years are not so. I say there is some truth 



28 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

in this adaore, thousfh. to the credit of man's 
nature -she it spoken, it does not universally 
apply. And the truth of the adage is 
proved by faithful and honorable excep- 
tions. And there is reason in the thing, 
though that which is most generally given 
is not so well expressed as it might be. 
The reason assigned in favor of early at- 
tachments and early friendships is that 
because in youth the feelings are full, and 
fresh, and free, and warm, and that the 
young heart is surcharged with gushing 
sympathies. This is even so. But I will 
state the reason in another form, which i's 
more suitable to my subject, and which, 
I have no doubt, will be more useful to 
you. It is because in early life the char- 
acter is formed, and the principles incor- 
porated into the subject which produce 
his character. And with this in view, I 
would encourage you to adopt and practise 
such principles as are pure, and high, and 
holy, and then your friendships will be well 
selected, and you will yourselves be valua- 
ble, aye, inestimable, as friends. 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 29 



man's social excellence seen in his 
estimate of the female character. 

And in scarcely any thing is this social 
character, which is developed in these ele- 
ments of domestic life, more distinctly seen, 
and more admired, than in the estimate 
which the man places upon the female 
character and female society. The youth 
who has rightly improved by this domestic 
training, and in whom the social character 
is properly developed, is the champion of 
female virtue. The female character, in its 
spotless purity, is that which he admires, 
and loves, and venerates. He sees a 
mother and a sister in every respectable 
female ; and to him the appeal of female 
innocence for protection is never made in 
vain. He is the knight in his chivalry, and 
is ready even to interpose his life between 
wronged innocence and the wretch that 
would lay his demon grasp upon spotless 
female virtue. And this veneration for 
what is virtuous and amiable in the female 
character is almost always a sure index to 
the character of the man that entertains it. 
He is one of pure and exalted mind, and 



30 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

may be trusted in every department of life. 
He has a high sense of honor, and his in- 
tegrity is not to be easily shaken. Of the 
intrigues of the immoral and the vicious he 
knows nothing, and he entertains no feeling 
towards such want of character but disgust. 
The nobleness of his nature is seen in his 
abhorrence of the guilty, while the pure 
are safe under his care. Such a man is 
the son^ the brother, and the friend, that 
does honor to his family, and to the circle 
of society in which he moves. And if you 
would possess such character in manhood, 
cultivate it now. Let the model appear 
before you at all times, and on all occa- 
sions, and let its impress be indelibly made 
upon your mind and heart. 

THE AMERICAN DOMESTIC ALTAR. 

And now, after these remarks upon the 
formation of the domestic character, need 
I tell you how it is that the domestic altar 
has so much to do with the character of 
the man ? Need 1 tell you that it is a thing 
to be deplored that the youth of Greece 
and Rome had not more of the benefits of 
this altar ? And need I point you to the 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 31 

high privileges and holy influences of that 
altar, to show you how much the advantage 
you have over those noble youths of other 
days whose character has so much in it for 
you to admire ? And you w^ho have fathers, 
and mothers, and brothers, and sisters, and 
friends, well should you know how to ap- 
preciate what I say in relation to the dif- 
ference between them and yourselves, and 
ardently should you desire to reap advan- 
tage from the knowledge you possess of 
your position. Treasure, then, as a sacred 
gift from Heaven, the blessings which this 
domestic altar affords you. And let your 
characters be formed in the cultivation and 
manly exercise of the principles it imparts. 
Remember that the principles you cultivate, 
and the character you form in youth, will 
be likely to be your principles and character 
for life. And as you would be respected 
and valued as members of society hereafter ; 
as you would be useful and honored among 
men, use all your powers to obtain right 
principles, and to develope those principles 
into such character, as Americans, you 
may be proud of. 



32 .WASHINGTON THE MODEL 



INFLUENCE OF THE DOMESTIC ALTAR IN 

THE DEVELOPEMENT OF THE 

PATRIOTIC CHARACTER. 

And not only to. the developement of 
the social qualities, is the young American 
indebted to the domestic altar, but he is 
also indebted to that altar, in a considera- 
ble degree, for the developement of his 
character as a patriot and a Christian. He 
iearns patiiotism and religion at the hearth- 
stone. The fire of a country's love is en- 
kindled in the young heart, and the lisping 
infant pronounces the name of God with 
awe. The story of the statesman's pro- 
gress to renown falls upon the ears of the 
child, and in his youth he feels the first 
impulse of the desire to play the orator 
before the multitude, and by his eloquence 
the "listening senate to command." The 
deeds of glory that pave the conqueror's 
path, are told him, and the pulse of ambi- 
tion begins to beat while yet the tales of 
the nursery are ringing in his ears. He 
hears of battles, and he longs to follow to 
the field some warlike leader. It is direc- 
tion rather than encouragement that is 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 33 

needed in the developement of this patri- 
otic character. If there is any thing innate 
in the human bosom, it would seem to be 
this feeling of patriotism. And it is fanned 
into a flame, it is excited and fevered by the 
unnumbered incidents of patriotic history 
that crowd upon the expanding and im- 
proving mind, and by the appeals of daily 
occurrences which tend to warm and ani- 
mate the heart. It is but proper direction 
that is needed in the cultivation of this feel- 
ing. Every child is a patriot. Every boy is 
both a statesman and a soldier. And what 
is required in his teaching, in such matters, 
is the right sort of training. And badly 
will his patriotic character be brought forth 
if he be left to himself in its developement ; 
to make the boy a pure and exalted pa- 
triot, true patriotism must be presented to 
him from the model. And it is to be 
shown him in its principle, and in its opera- 
tion. And this, if properly done, wil! 
show him what patriotism is in its embrace 
of his country's territory and population, 
an'd of all that may be included in his 
country's honor and prosperity. Less than 
this will cause him to degenerate into the 
partizan, and devclope prejudice for seo^ 



34 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

tional interests and sectional advantage 
rather than the principle which, in its ex- 
tended grasp, includes all that can elevate 
and prosper, and honor the nation. No- 
thing short of this should be dignified with 
the name of patriotism. And the youth 
should keep his eye and his heart firmly 
and devotedly fixed upon it. He should 
know that the partizan is not the patriot, 
and he should be capable of making the 
distinction. And in the acquirement of 
the patriotic character he may feel that he 
is an American, and he may receive enjoy- 
ment, in a high degree, from the pleasure 
such feelings must ever produce. And 
such an American is the champion of his 
country, and of his country's rights and 
honor. And he is this champion, not only 
in regard to foreign aggression, but in de- 
fiance of sectional prejudice and party 
feud. 



INFLUENCE OP THE DOMESTIC ALTAR IN 

THE DEVELOPEMENT OF THE 

RELIGIOUS CHARACTER. 

And as with the patriotism of the youth, 
so with his religion. Its first appearance 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 35 

is generally at the home fire-side. And it 
is there that the first impression of his re- 
ligious character is made. The Christian 
mother teaches her child that there is a 
God for him to worship. And his first 
and earliest prayers to Him, as the only 
object of his adoration, are taught from her 
lips. And religion comes not to the boy, 
as does his patriotism, seemingly by innate 
impulse. It has to be taught liini, or he 
never learns it. It is somethino' that comes 
not by nature, but by the Revelation of 
God. And coming thus, it has to be com- 
municated to the individual. And the 
American boy should study, as a most im- 
portant part of his education, the broad 
principles of the Christian faith, and the 
creed of the Christian church. And he 
should learn to hold his religious views in 
respect to God and to his church, and not 
in any wise in respect to the opinions of 
men. And how important is the place of 
the parent and the teacher in its view of 
this duty? The infidel is utterly unquali- 
fied for the employment. An infidel mo- 
ther is unfit for the traininsf of an American 
boy. If she neglect to teach him love to 
his God, she will hardly be able to teach 



36 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

him how to exhibit his love to his country. 
And, as I have before remarked, the char- 
acter of the American is incomplete, it is 
unfinished without reliorion. And the re- 
ligion which perfects the American char- 
acter, is love to the Almighty Object of its 
worship, which is recognised in all the 
American institutions ; and love to man- 
kind, which is so necessary for the well 
being of the state. Alas ! that the training 
of an American child should ever be placed 
in the hands of an unbeliever ! It is his 
principle, as a Christian, that renders the 
man a truly social being, and a pure patriot, 
and the true American must of necessity 
be a Christian, 



WASHINGTON THE BOY. 

And now some of you are ready to ask 
me if these elements of character were 
combined in the illustrious Washington, 
the father of his country, whom I have held 
up as a model character for the American 
youth. Let us see if such be the case. 
Let us recur for a moment to the history 
of that unequalled man. And first, let us 
see what he was in his youth, and under 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 37 

the training of his parents. And, as a boy, 
how is he shown to you in history ? He 
is shown to you as the very boy I have 
described. He was the dutiful and obedient 
son. He was the simple-hearted, affec- 
tionate, studious boy, who, by his gentle 
manners, and open and candid disposition, 
made himself the idol of his parents. If 
you turn to the history of Washington's 
youth, and read it, you will find him amia- 
ble, and honorable, and dignified, and pure. 
You will see him almost without a fault, 
and with a soul made of such noble ma- 
terials that he becomes at once the object 
of your admiration and your love. Why, 
of such a boy as Washington, his mother 
might well be proud. Aye, his friends and 
his country might well be proud of him. 
What! A nation proud of a boy? Yes, 
a nation proud of a boy ! The free nation 
of American citizens is proud, to this day, 
and ever will be proud of the boyhood of 
Washington. He stands out in history 
in bold advance of the boys of America. 
He stands out in bold advance of the boys 
of the world. He is the model boy, and 
boys are great and wise, and good in pro- 
portion to their imitation of his character. 



38 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

Let the light of his boyhood's example be 
the guiding star of the American youth. 
Let those youth be what he was at the 
fire-side, at his mother's knee, and at the 
school, and their country shall be blessed 
in their manhood's years. 

WASHINGTON THE MAN. 

And what is the character of Washinor- 
ton the man ? Let the patriotism of his 
professional life speak for him. Where is 
he in the hour of peace, when the trump 
of war is hushed, and the stillness of the 
Sabbath rests upon the woods and wilds of 
his native state. In the time of peace he 
is a man of peace. He is just the man 
that you might expect the boy Washington 
to make. A talented, active, industrious 
citizen. His occupation is that of a sur- 
veyor, and so eminent is he in his profes- 
sion, rendered so by study and industrious 
application — so eminent is he, that he 
attracts public attention and receives the 
appointment of public surveyor at the age 
of but little more than seventeen years. 
And so manly is his character, and so de- 
cided his attainments, that when he is but 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 39 

nineteen years of age, in addition to his 
office of public surveyor, he is made the 
commissioned head of the militia of his 
district to guard it against the depredations 
of the Indians. And he is yet devoted to 
his mother, and ready to obey her in all 
that she commands. Washino-ton the man 
is like Washington the boy, the dutiful and 
obedient son. He loves his mother tenderly 
and devotedly, and his mother, in return, 
loves him with all the ardor of a mother's 
deep and abiding ailection. And he is 
loved and respected by all who know him 
and have the opportunities of appreciating 
his worth. 



WASHINGTON THE PATRIOTIC SOLDIER. 

And where is Washington when the 
storm, of war begins, and clouds of dark- 
ness and danger gather over his beloved 
land. Where is he when the fierce thun- 
der of war's tempest is heard among the 
hills of his nativity. He is among the very 
first that offers for the service of their coun- 
try. The mild, the gentle, the obedient 
boy is a patriot, and he becomes a soldier 
to fight in the defence of the country of 



40 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

his love. He takes his place in the army, 
and still a student, still active and indus- 
trious, his path to fame is onward and up- 
ward. He was the idol of his mother in 
his boyhood, and now he becomes the 
idol of another mother, his country. He 
fights his way as commander in chief of 
the American army, through a fierce and 
bloody revolution, and he conquers a fierce 
and blood-thirsty foe. And when the 
British flag is in his hand, and the British 
lion cowering before the eagle that spreads 
her wings upon his own proud ensign, he 
lays the trophies of his victory upon the 
altar of his country, and becomes a private 
citizen. Like the Roman Cincinnatus, he 
resigns his honors when the period of duty 
has passed, and retires to the peace and 
quiet of his farm. He is the patriot that 
does all for his country, and seems to-show 
but little concern for himself. And there 
is a scene at the close of his military life 
which shows him to his countrymen and 
to the world, the most glorious patriot that 
ever lifted his arm in his country's defence. 
It holds up his character higher than that 
of the most renowned Greek. It shows 
him to be the more than Roman in all that 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 41 

was great in the Roman's estimate of fame. 
When the army that he has led to victory 
is about to be disbanded, a source of dis- 
satisfaction arises, and the soldiers that are 
wearing the badges of triumph over a 
foreign enemy murmur at the treatment 
they receive by the government at home. 
The congress of the country they have 
served, so long and so faithfully, refuses to 
pay them for their services, and would have 
them dismissed and sent home poor, pen- 
niless, and in rags. With tears in his 
eyes, Washington communicates the sad 
intelliorence to his brave comrades in arms. 
They hear the tale in silence and in sor- 
row. And scarcely is it told, when the 
fire of indignation flashes in every eye. 
The men that have fought and conquered 
under Washinoton, and have fouoht and 
conquered for their country, now propose 
to have their own private wrongs redressed 
by fighting for their matchless leader. 
They would hurl the members of congress 
from their seats, and upon the throne of a 
newly erected kingdom they would place 
their Washington. And what is the im- 
port of this proposition from the triumphant 
American army ? It is no less than to 

4 



42 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

make Washington a kinor ; no less than to 
crown him king of conquerless America. 
They would have crowned him, as many 
a warrior of past ages had been crowned, 
after they had been victorious over their 
enemies. They would have laid a nation's 
honors and a nation's homage at his feet. 
And does Washington accede to their pro- 
posal ? Does he receive the gift of the 
crown, and mount his throne a king? 
No ! He scorns the deed. He becomes 
indignant at the proposition, and he pities 
from his heart the brave sufferers whose 
wronofs induced them to make it. He 
turns from the disheartened troops that 
stood by him in the trials of many a stormy 
hour, and lays the laurels that he won, as 
their chief, at his country's feet. He re- 
siofns his commission as an American 
general, and he walks from his place at the 
head of his army, not an American king, 
but a private American citizen. And may 
I not ask, where is the deed in history that 
stands out in such strong relief, and in 
such o-lowino- colors, as does that deed of 
the most fjlorious of heroes. Where is the 
victorious general of Greece, or Rome, or 
pi" any other nation, that refused such bril- 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 43 

liant honors, and at a time of such trying 
interest ? Where is the hero who, with 
the crown in view, held out by his weep- 
ing, suffering troops, and under such touch- 
in o- circumstances, that went out from be- 
fore them, of helm and plume bereft, "a 
man of private mien ?" The deed, like the 
man, stands out in history in solitary iso- 
lation. 



And glow on fame's immortal height, 
Inscribed in lines of living light, 
The name, the deed, they are but one, 
Unrivalled in our Washington. 



WASHINGTON THE PATRIOTIC STATESMAN. 

And, as a statesman, our model of the 
American character is scarcely less distin- 
guished than he is as a victorious general. 
In the halls of his country's legislation, as 
in the field of battle, his deeds, and not his 
words, proclaim his character. He is as 
far sighted upon the platform of state, as 
he is amid the smoke of war ; and as he 
looked forward and fought for the victory 
that was to crown his career in the future, 
so did he watch, with an eagle eye, the 
sun of his country's glory, as it ascended 



44 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

to its meridian, and so did legislate that 
the beams and genial warmth of that sun 
miofht be shed over future ^fenerations. 
He is the statesman in the nobleness and 
dignity which the character should ever 
maintain. In his acts, which are always 
of general application, and for the public 
good, the blustering partisan is shamed 
into silence, and the tongue of the wily 
politician stilled. He speaks only when 
he has something to say. His words are 
the words of the heart, and they are full of 
meaninor. He sees not himself, and knows 
nothing of his own success, but he pleads 
for the land that he has perilled his life to 
save. He labors with his mioht for his 
country's prosperity ; and while he asks 
not office, he feels that it is not his place 
to decline it when the voice of duty calls 
him to the post, and while there is work 
for him to perform. His countrymen wit- 
ness his patriotic zeal for their prosperity, 
and for the prosperity and elevation of 
their government, and they pass by hun- 
dreds that seek honor in her councils, and 
at her head, and offer him the highest 
place of honor in their gift. The people, 
over whom he so nobly refused to reign as 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 45 

a king, ask his services as their chief magis- 
trate, and he consents at once. He is the 
statesman that is ever ready for service — • 
always at hand when there is labor for him 
to perform. And when the hour of honor 
comes he is hardly to be seen. He is the 
statesman that loses sight of self and of all 
selfish considerations, and plans and pur- 
poses only for the welfare of the nation. 
See him, when he deems that his labors for 
the state are accomplished, and her honor, 
and peace, and prosperity secured. When 
there are no more toils for him to undergo, 
he lays the honors of office at the feet of 
those who conferred them, and from his 
distinguished seat, at the head of the gov- 
ernment, he comes down to the place of a 
private citizen. He is the lofty spirit that 
deals in mighty works, and when there are 
no more mighty works for him to do, he 
retires to be mighty still in the circles of 
private life. He fights while there is a gun 
to be fired, or a foe to be subdued, and he 
is the last to leave the field. And so stands 
he at the helm of state. He is there till 
the impending danger is passed. And he 
leaves not his post while there is a trial 
near. While the clouds of war are curling 



46 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

around him, he appears unmoved, and the 
smile of peace is upon his cheek to tell 
how little concern he has for himself when 
the storm is sweeping over his country. 
And while the waves of civil commotion 
are dashing at his feet, his form is seen 
standing firm amid the threatening peril, 
and his hand is outstretched for the calminsf 
of the troubled waters. And when all is 
tranquil, and the country safe, we find our 
patriot among the quiet shades of Mount 
Vernon. As a statesman, as well as a vic- 
torious warrior, we see the sunlight of a 
glorious fame encirclinof the brow of Wash- 
ington. The deeds that exhibit the model 
Washington, as a patriotic soldier and 
statesman, are unparalleled in history. 
And as in his social virtues, and in his 
patriotic character, so stands out, in bold 
relief. 



WASHINGTON THE CHRISTIAN. 

I give but one more scene to complete 
the model of American character. It is 
Washington in death. And it is in that 
hour of trial that his character as a Chris- 
tian is clearly to be seen. As a soldier, 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 47 

and as a statesman, he was a man of prayer, 
and his end is that of the Christian hero. 
He suffers cahnly and patiently his last 
severe affliction. And when he is tortured 
with pain, and struggling- in his last agonies 
in the grasp of the grim monster, he turns 
to his physician, and says, with perfect 
composure, and with the calmness of Chris- 
tian resignation over his countenance : " I 
die hard, but I am 7iot afraid to die /" Like 
a soldier, like a Christian hero, he resigns 
his soul into the hands of Him who gave it. 
Such is Washington the boy, the man. 
Such his character as developed in his 
deeds. In him is seen the man of social 
virtues, the patriot, and the Christian. 
And in these departments of human char- 
acter he shone throutjliout his life. And 
may I not hold up such a character as a 
model before the youth of America; surely 
such a character is the high aim of an 
American boy's ambition ! And to win 
and wear it would be to secure a prize of 
most exalted eminence. But let it not be 
forgotten that the palm must be worn by 
him who wins it. 



48 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 



THE SCHOOL A DEPARTMENT OF THE 
DOMESTIC ALTAR. 

And these elements of character, which 
shone so brightly in the history of our 
glorious Washington, are those which 
make the man a social being, a patriot, and 
a Christian. And they are not only to be 
taught the child at the fire-side, and on his 
mother's knee. The school is a depart- 
ment of the domestic altar. And in the 
school the design of the parent to complete, 
as far as practicable, the character of his 
child, is to be carried out. The boy is to be 
prepared for some department of profes- 
sional life, into which he is to carry the 
qualities of character he obtains in his 
youth. And the preparation for profes- 
sional life is continued in the school, and 
in the college, as it was commenced at 
home. A certain amount of scholastic 
knowledge is necessary to expand the 
mind, and prepare the youth for the duties 
and responsibilities of life in any and all of 
the professions. And if he be turned loose 
upon the world without this knowledge, 
he cannot be said to be fit for any depart- 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 49 

merit of business. He is qualified for no 
profession, and plodding his way in igno- 
rance, his associations must be low, and 
grovelling, and in his path through life he 
must be vicious and unhappy. And let 
me ask, for what profession is it possible 
that the boy can be prepared that was 
never instructed at home, nor at school, 
nor any where else ? The answer is sug- 
gested to every mind by the question itself. 
And what is such a boy fit for ? He is fit 
for the pursuit of vice and wretchedness ; 
and that is the pursuit upon which he will be 
likely to enter. Ignorance and vice are the 
parents of misery. Wretcliedness is the 
fruit of their association. Aye, ignorance 
and vice are the parents of misery, and in 
wretchedness must the way of man be 
pursued, if he be found in their association. 
The boy that is ignorant is in great danger 
of being wicked, and in his wickedness he 
must be unhappy. No boy can grow up 
to be a true and faithful American citizen 
that grows up in ignorance. And no boy 
can be a true patriot that is willing to grow 
up in this way. A man must be enlight- 
ened, or he can be no good subject of the 
American government. And he must seek 



50 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

enlightenment in his youth, or he runs a 
great risk of never obtaining it at all. 

THE SOVEREIGN PEOPLE. 

In our republic the people are said to 
be the sovereigns of the government; and 
we frequently hear of the -'sovereign peo- 
ple." And who are the sovereign people ? 
Are they the ignorant and the vile ? Are 
they the base and the profligate ? Alas, 
for this lovely land of ours, were such 
sovereign further than their votes on elec- 
tion day can make them ! And even in 
this privilege of voting, their sovereignty 
is sufficiently operative for evil. And were 
these miserable apologies for the freemen 
of America to triumph over the enlight- 
ened and the virtuous, what would the 
name of America be but the stamp of in- 
famy ? To the ignorant and the vile, the 
base and the profligate, our government 
extends the riirht of suftrase. It recoof- 
nises all as politically free. But can such 
characters aspire to the place of office 
which the enlightened alone can fill ? 
Their boast is of their right to vote, and 
not of the talent or the chance to occupy 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 51 

the place of office. And what a pitiful 
sovereignty is this for an American free- 
man to boast! — a sovereignty which gives 
him a right to vote, and which allows him 
to hurrah for another who is wiser and 
better than himself; while he has no quali- 
fications of his own to ht him for office, 
nor even to judge who is best prepared to 
be the officer. And in the hands of the 
ignorant man this elective franchise is a 
dangerous trust. He knows not how to 
exercise it for his country's good, and for 
the advancement of his country's prosperity. 
He has the power to vote, and that is all 
that he can be proud of. And his vote is 
thrown, like the implements of the gaming 
table, at a hazard. And if the chance of 
the government for prosperity depended 
on him, it would certainly hang upon the 
hazard of the die. Shame upon such a 
sovereignty ! shame upon the boy who is 
base enough even to risk the chance of 
becoming such a character ! He is unfit 
to rule, or to choose his ruler, and he is 
unworthy of the rights and privileges 
which his free government confers upon 
him. I tell you, boys, that such a character 
is complimented, he is highly compli- 



52 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

meiited, when it is said of him that he is 
"fit for treason, stratagem, and spoils." 

THE INTELLIGENCE NECESSARY TO THE 
AMERICAN CITIZEN IS TO BE OB- 
TAINED IN THE SCHOOL. 

It is to prevent such sovereigns as these 
from ruling the land, and leading it into 
infamy and ruin, that temples of learning 
are erected in every city, and town, and 
village, and in every district throughout 
our states. Provision is made by the state 
governments for the education of the 
young, so that their characters, as social 
beings, and as patriots, and Christians, 
may be properly developed ; and that they 
may be prepared to sustain the free insti- 
tutions in which their honor is reflected, 
and which will sustain them as free Ameri- 
can citizens. And in the arrangements 
which are made for the universal diffusion 
of the blessings of education, provision is 
made for all, so that no man is too poor to 
have his child educated. If he has not the 
means of paying for it, the education is 
afforded without the pay. The blessing 
is intended to come, as it ought to come, 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 53 

like the rain from heaven, upon the ricli 
and the poor, and upon the evil and the 
good. And the poorest boy in the land, 
if he is active and industrious, and ambi- 
tious, may rise to eminence in any of the 
professions. All that is necessary is for 
him to have his character developed in all 
that the model I have held up includes, 
and his success is certain. While other 
lands may boast their princely palaces, 
their lofty towers, and their splendid tem- 
ples, our free America may point to her 
public schools, and exclaim : " These are 
my pride ! — these are the treasuries where 
my jewels are stored !" 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 

In our own city, as they do in every 
American city, the public schools rise up 
before us like waymarks upon the path of 
prosperity. They are the waymarks on 
the road to fame, and the boy may mea- 
sure his way through them until he arrives 
at the distinction to which they direct him. 
There is no boy in Baltimore, nor in any 
city of the United States, but may honor 
the name of American citizen. And there 



54 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

is no boy but may study liis way to charac- 
ter, to prosperity, and to eminence, in any 
profession he may choose. He may shine 
as a star in the social circle, in professional 
life, in the nation's councils, in the field, 
and in religion's walks ; the way is open 
before him. The invitation is given him to 
enter and pursue it. The crown is on the 
height which rises to his view, and he may 
urge his way up to it, — he may win and 
wear it. To persevering zeal the palm is 
sure. Let every boy that belongs to a 
public school write his motto in his cap, 
and let him read the Latin, and feel the 
English of it whenever he puts it on or 
takes it off. Palmam qui meruit ferat. 
" Let him wear the palm who wins it.'^ 

education prepares the youth for 
eminence in life. 

And the education and character thus 
to be obtained by the American youth are 
the means by which he may erect the 
monument of his renown in the years of 
his maturity. The pursuit of study in the 
acquirement of character, prepares him for 
the march to eminence in any of the pro- 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 55 

fessions. It provides liim with the mate- 
rials for working his way to distinction in 
the mechanic arts, in mercantile life, and 
in pursuits which are more strictly profes- 
sional. And the trophies of his triumph- 
ant genius may tell to other generations 
how successfully he pursued the path that 
opened before him. And where are the 
trophies that tell of the triumph of me- 
chanical geniuses ? Behold them in the 
splendid buildings that adorn this monu- 
mental city ! Look on those proud monu- 
ments of marble that bear the names of 
American heroes. They tell how nobly 
the soldier fought, and how gloriously was 
his career of victory, in the securino- and 
sustaining of American freedom. One of 
them proclaims to you of the high charac- 
ter of him whom I have held up before 
you as the model of American character. 
The other tells how nobly your fathers fell 
defending the city of your love. Witness 
the fair proportions of those splendid 
structures, their excellent workmanship, 
the chasteness of the chiseling, and the 
beauty that the sculptor's hand has left 
upon them. Proudly they speak of the 
warrior's deeds and fame, and as proudly 



56 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

do they tell us of the master skill that 
produced them. They are master speci- 
mens of the mechanic arts, and proclaim 
what may be done by the educated mind 
and hand. 

And to what shall we look for the an- 
nouncement of the merchant's honors ? 
Look at our larg^e Commercial Exchansre, 
our Custom House, and the numerous 
commercial halls that throng this city ! 
Survey the wharves, and the shipping an- 
chored in the port. Look out upon the 
mighty ocean, and see the ships that sail 
from port to port, their white sails swelhng 
in the breeze, and movinor like thinors of 
life over the billows ! And cast your eyes 
upon those ocean steamers, the cities of 
the deep, that swim the waves in their 
dignity and power, and that, in regard to 
time, brinof distant nations nearer to each 
other. These are the evidences, plain and 
palpable, of mercantile experiment. And 
they bear over every wave, and to every 
shore, the evidences of mercantile success. 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 57 



EDUCATION PREPARES THE YOUTH FOR 
EMINENCE IN ANY PROFESSION. 

And in what does the professional man's 
renown consist ? The answer comes from 
tlie teacher in the hall of learning-; from 
the physician in his closet; from the artist 
in his studio ; from the statesman in the 
nation's council; from the minister of God 
in the pulpit ; from the counsellor in the 
court room. And it comes from the sol- 
dier on the battle field ; for the soldier is a 
professional character. It comes in the 
still small voice of the civilian's inter- 
course; and it peals with the thunder 
tones of war. It tells of triumphs which 
the mind, in its improvement, has achieved, 
and of the trophies reared by hands of 
educated skill. There is no department of 
life in which the American boy may enter 
but will afford him honor and honorable 
success, if he seeks it in a manner that 
is becoming in the American character. 

And these are the results of education. 
They are the results of education, in its 
improvement, of the American mind. And 
to the achievement of honor, in whatever 

5 



58 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

is honorable, that he may undertake, the 
American boy may aspire. He may be an 
eminent mechanic, or a successful mer- 
chant ; or he may gain distinction in the 
ranks of professional life. And eminent 
in the department he occupies, as a social 
character, as a patriot and Christian, he 
shall have attained the distinction he 
sought ; and when he passes from this 
world, he shall leave behind him an hon- 
ored name. Like our model Washington, 
he shall leave a character among his peo- 
ple which shall be remembered long after 
he has departed. And such a palm as 
this is worthy of a lifetime to win. 

^ CHOICE OF PROFESSION. 

In our country the choice of his profes- 
sion is generally left with the boy himself. 
He selects, under the direction of his 
parents, such occupation as suits his taste, 
and to which he feels that he is partial. 
He goes from school to his employment 
in business, and thenceforward he is the 
pioneer of his own fortune ; and his suc- 
cess depends upon himself He can work 
his way to eminence if hn is enterprising 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 59 

and industrious ; or, he can lag with the 
crowd, and continue among those who 
are unsuccessful, and who are called 
unfortunate. I say called unfortunate, 
because the misfortunes of men are gene- 
rally the fruits of their own incompetent 
labors. They are produced by their want 
of energy and active devotion to their 
profession. Remember that, as well as 
their fortunes, men make their m^for- 
tunes themselves. If the man would be 
successful, he must study as well as work. 
And he must study how to work, and how 
to bring his labor to good account. The 
school boy must not throw his books away 
when he leaves the school. He must 
carry them with him through life, and 
he must use them. The model which I 
have placed before you, in our venerated 
Washington, is not to be imitated by him 
who disregards his books. He was pre- 
eminently distinguished by habits of study. 
And we hear of no hours of any part of 
his life that were wasted in idleness, or 
spent in the mere pursuit of pleasure. He 
gained his character by study, and by per- 
severing labor. He wrought his way to 
the distinguished position he attained 



60 WASHINGTON THE MODEL 

He won the palm by active and untiring 
devotion to the pursuit of his choice, 

. APPLICATION OF THE MOTTO. 

And now, in conclusion, allow me to 
make a national and patriotic, as well as 
individual application of the motto which 
you bear upon your banner. You remem- 
ber the origin of palms. They were first 
given to those among the Romans who 
were victorious in their games. It was 
done in imitation of the Grecian practice 
of rewarding the victor in the Olympic 
feats. And the reason why the palm-tree 
was made choice of for the purpose, is 
because in its growth, it would raise itself 
above any weight that might be placed 
upon it. Indeed the palm-tree is said by 
some writers to flourish most when most 
oppressed. And the palm-tree may be 
associated by a most appropriate and beau- 
tiful simile with the American character. 
Behold it rising from the soil in its strength, 
making its way through every opposing 
obstacle, pushing even the huge rocks 
aside, and shooting its head through the 
air, until it stands in its majesty, a giant in 



OF AMERICAN CHARACTER. 61 

size and in power, defying the wind and 
the storm, and yet bowing gently before 
the breeze that moves amono- its branches. 
See the tall trunk and proportioned foliage 
showing the tree to the sun, a thing of 
beauty as well as of majesty, — of grace as 
well as power. Need I make the applica- 
tion ? Turn your thoughts to the years 
when the iron hand of oppression lay 
heavily upon the fathers of this nation. 
See how they rose above the power that 
oppressed them ; how they removed the 
difficulties that surrounded them ; how 
they pushed aside the mountain barriers 
that hung over them ; and, how the proud 
head of the American came up. See how, 
amid toil, and tears, and blood, the glory 
of the American character arose and shone. 
See how, in its majesty and in its might, 
it appeared before the world, that wondered 
at its dignity and grace, while it trembled 
at its power. 

CONCLUSION. 

In this simile is seen what an appropri- 
ate emblem the palm is of the American 
character. May that simile be perpetual ! 



62 WASHINGTON THE MODEL, ETC. 

May it be the pride of the American youth 
to sustain it ! Let no danger, no difficulty, 
no oppression, let nothing whatever be an 
impediment in the path of the young 
American to fame. And in whatever de- 
partment of life his lot may be cast, let him 
study, let him labor, and let him pursue 
his way with persevering diligence. Then 
may he obtain the point of success at which 
he aims. 

Boys, let your eyes be fixed upon the 
model I have set before you in the charac- 
ter of the immortal Washington, and let 
your mind and heart be ever on the motto, 
Palmam qui MERUIT FERAT. And wheu, 
after the toil of years, you have won the 
laurel, while you are proud of the American 
character, your country will be proud of 
you. 




THE END, 




SCHOOL AND MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS, 

PUBLISHED BY J. MURPHY. 

A COMPENDIUM OF ANCIENT AND MODERN 
HISTORY, with Questions adapted to the use of 
schools and academies. By M.J. Kerney. 

This work has been introduced as a Text book into several 
colleges and academies, in Maryland and the Western State.s. 

The Compendium of History, by Mr. M. J. Kerney, has 
been in my possession several months, and, after a careful 
reading, I believe it to be a very useful book in the depart- 
ment of study to vvhicii it belongs. I take pleasure in re- 
commending it to teachers. J. N. M'Jilton. 

Aug. 3, 1846. Ch. Central High School of Baltimore. 

AN ABRIDGMENT OF MURRAY'S ENGLISH 
GRAMMAR, AND EXERCISE; with Questions, 
adapted to the use of schools and academies; also, an 
APPENDIX, containing Rules and Observations for 
Writing with perspicuity aud accuracy. By M. J. 
Kerney. 

1 have examined the Grammar prepared by Mr. M. J. Ker- 
ney, and reconmiend it as an abridgment of the old standard 
of Murray, well calculated to advance pupils in their gram- 
matical studies. .1. N. M'Jilton, 

Aug. 3, 1846. Ch, Central High School of Baltimore. 

" We take particular pleasure in recommending this abridg- 
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the original are copious and well selected. In point of ar- 
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syntax. Thus, by combining the grammar and exercise, a 
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" Besides embracing in a narrow compass all that is import- 
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abridgtiient contains in its appendix several additional mat- 



SCHOOL AND MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS. 

ters which will be found highly interesting and useful to the 
learner : such as the Art of Reasoning, Oratory, Ellipt cal 
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THE MFSCELLANEOUS WRITINGS OF G. W. 
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THE PROSE AND POETICAL WRITINGS OF 
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BIBLE QUADRUPEDS : The Natural History of the 
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GEMS OF IRISH ELOQUENCE, WIT AND 
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DISCOURSE ON THE LIFE AND C^^ARACTER 
OF GEORGE CALVERT, the first Lord Balti- 
more, made by Hon J. P. Kennedy, before the 
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REVIEW OF THE HON. JOHN P. KENNEDY'S 
DISCOURSE on the Life and Character of George 
Calvert, the first Lord Haltimore. 

JOURNAL OF CHARLES CARROLL OF CAR- 
ROLLTON during his visit to Canada, in 1776, as 
one of the Commissioners to Congress. 

LOVE AND MATRIMONY, a Letter to a Betrothed 
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THE GENTLEMAN'S POCKET FARRIER, Em- 
bellished with a fine Engraving. 

DIVERTING HISTORY OF JOHN GILPIN, Illus- 
trated with Engravino;s. 

POPE'S ESSAY ON MAN, a beautiful edition. 

SILABARIO CASTELLANO, para el Uso de Los 
Ninos, bajo, un Nuevo Plan, Util y Agradable; 
reunicndo la Ensenanza de las Letras, Urbanidad, 
Moral, y Religion. 

SILABARIO CASTELLANO, para el Use de Las 

Ninas, bajo un Nuevo Plan, Util y Agradable; 

reuniendo la Ensenanza, de los Letras, Urbanidad, 

Moral, y Religion. 



W B 4 JS 



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